Samantha Price appointed as next Head of Cranleigh School

Cranleigh School is delighted to announce that Samantha Price will be its next Head.

Samantha Price, current Headmistress of Benenden School, is a prominent figure in boarding education and a leading voice of support for young people. A figurehead for girls' education in particular, last year she was President of the Girls' Schools Association and listed as one of the UK's best Headteachers by the Times Educational Supplement.

Mrs Price will join Cranleigh in September 2024, following a decade at the helm of Benenden, during which she delivered an ambitious programme of building and development for the school, including the introduction of the Benenden Diploma, and offered places to day girls for the first time.

Her vision for education closely allies with Cranleigh’s ethos of inquiry based, collaborative learning with a focus on future skills and excellence in co-curricular as well as academics.

Chair of Cranleigh's Governing Body, Adrian Lajtha, said: "We are delighted with Samantha’s appointment as our next Head and we look forward to welcoming her to Cranleigh.

"We'd like to express our deep thanks for everything that Martin and his leadership team have achieved over the last nine years and we look forward to celebrating those achievements with our community over the coming twelve months. We had a fantastic field of candidates, attracted by the high profile that our school currently enjoys, and we are excited about the next stage of Cranleigh's journey as one of the UK's pre-eminent co-educational boarding schools."

The Hon Anna Birkett, Chairman of Governing Council at Benenden School, said: “It is an understatement to say that Governing Council is sad to see Samantha move on but we fully respect her wish to embark on a new professional and personal chapter at this moment in her career.

"During her ten years at Benenden, Samantha has presided over a period of sustained and exciting change and development at the School and I would like to thank her for her dedication and commitment to the School throughout her tenure.

"Governing Council is starting the process to recruit a new Head and we will be looking for an outstanding candidate with the experience and qualities which will be needed to lead Benenden successfully into its second century."